Commentary on 23nd Sunday of the year C 8.09.2019

Commentary on 23nd Sunday of the year C 8.09.2019

TEXT LUKE 14: 25–33

25 Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them,

No preferences

26 “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Bear one’s own cross

27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Count the cost

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish’.

Can he face challenge?

31 Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace.

Renounce all

33 So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

EXPLANATION

Introduction

In the verses previous to this passage (Lk. 14: 16–24) Luke instructed his readers that God’s call to discipleship is entirely God’s gift and does not depend on the person’s merits. The present reading develops the expected response of the one called to be a disciple.

“Now great multitudes accompanied him” — These people wanted to be Jesus’ disciples. They had made the first move by following and listening to him. They were a little confused because Jesus was under scrutiny and objections from the Pharisees and the crowd would have known that. Nevertheless they began to follow. They were not people who would try to dominate Jesus but who knew that he could and would help them in all their needs. At this stage they were following to understand what Jesus was teaching and where he was going.

In the previous verses Luke records that the “householder” and “master” invited “the poor and maimed and blind and lame”. We are to understand that this is a description of the type of people, now cured, who composed the “great multitude”, people who realised the goodness of Jesus and his desire to help all in need.

26 and he turned and said to them, “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”.

“and he turned” — This expression shows that the crowds literally followed Jesus who walked ahead of them. It is a frequent expression (Lk. 7: 9; 9: 55; 10: 23; 22: 61; 23: 28). When we ask why the crowds were following Jesus, it is clear from so many references and quotations that they were not following for spiritual but more for material and political reasons. Jesus, for them, was going to become a great political leader who would overthrow the Roman regime and bring prosperity to the Jewish kingdom. Jesus “turned to them” and taught them the choice they had to make to be his disciples on the road to Calvary.

“and said to them ‘If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” — Notice the use of “his own” which occurs twice. First it refers to people who are his closest relatives and then to his life. Nothing can be closer to anyone than “his own” father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters and his life.

“Love” and “hate” are two words that are frequently used colloquially in a non–literal sense, e.g. ‘I love ice cream’, and ‘I hate Cod Liver Oil!’. Two good examples of the use of “hate” are in Genesis 29: 31 and Malachi 1: 2–3. This is the sense of “hate” here. Jesus is saying that one must prefer him to the closest people in life such as family. If a choice has to be made in a particular situation Jesus must be first choice. This will be reflected in vv. 27 and 33. This is of course an application of Luke 10: 27 — “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind: and your neighbour as yourself”. He also taught that we are to love even enemies (Lk. 6: 27). Regard “hate” in the present context as a Jewish idiom for “love less”. It is a common idiom in very many languages.

In the previous passage we read of one person invited to “a great banquet” who said “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come”. (Lk. 14: 16, 20). It is easy to see how in this case the person chose to remain with his wife. The kingdom of God is frequently compared to a banquet. It is in this sense that the man put his wife before the kingdom of God. A good understanding would be ‘a disciple of Jesus must “love less” his wife than he loves Jesus’.

“even his own life” — This repeats what Jesus said; “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk. 9: 23). One must be prepared to give up the most precious things he possesses, even his own life. See Luke 12: 20–24.

“he cannot be my disciple” — This is the first of three mentions of these words in this brief passage. A disciple must love Jesus more than anyone else.

27 “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple”.

“Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple” — Jesus explains that to be his disciple means to follow him and be like him even in suffering and death. Luke records the words of Jesus “If any man would come after me, let his deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk. 9: 23).

“his own cross” — The cross that each is asked to bear is most personal. This demands that there must be a personal response.

“cannot be my disciple” — Jesus, as he proceeds to Jerusalem and crucifixion, emphasises for those who are following him, not all of whom are yet committed disciples, that they must be prepared to share his life even to the point of suffering and death with him. This is the second use of these words. A disciple must be prepared to follow Jesus into suffering and even death.

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish’.

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish’” — A disciple cannot be one who on mere whim or impulse decides on how to respond to his/her calling from God. One called must “sit down first” and take time to reflect. This is so important that in the following parable it will be repeated. To ponder, count the cost and accept the consequences is essential. The outcome will be either success or mockery.

31 Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace.

“Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace” — If the particular enterprise to be undertaken is great and serious one should take counsel. Note the similarity, even of some words, used in these two parables.

There is a distinct difference in the parables. In the first the builder is free to build or not; it is his choice. In the second parable the king has little choice because he is being attacked. The message for each of us is in the first parable: take time to decide if you can afford to be a disciple or not. The second choice in the following parable is: take time to consider if you can afford to run away from what the Lord is proposing to you.

33 So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

“So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” — This verse concludes verses 28–32. It is not saying that one must renounce all one has immediately but that, if necessary, one must be prepared to give up everything to become a disciple of Jesus.

“cannot be my disciple” — This is the third use of these words in this passage. A disciple must be prepared to give up everything for Jesus.

APPLICATION

Jesus

From the time he “set his face to go to Jerusalem” on his last journey Jesus had assumed his cross which included worry, suffering and preparation for death. He gave us a fine example of what being committed to God the Father in his own life meant for him. He gave us the perfect example of how to follow as disciples.

For Jesus to take up his cross and carry it to Calvary and death was, and he knew it, a one–way journey with no return. It really was “all or nothing”. It was a total commitment. There could be no greater self–denial, what we call ‘mortification’, a word which means ‘death making’. Disciples were told to take up their cross daily because that is what he did. He had to carry his wooden cross for a few hours but the worry and expectation of agony and excruciating pain of crucifixion were with him daily for months. That is why his journey to Jerusalem took so long so that he might have time to teach his disciples and give them his example. We should see in these Gospel verses Jesus’ role as our teacher and exemplar. We should also realise that by extending his time teaching he extended his time of suffering and let us realise that this was another sign of his love for us his disciples.

This passage has the refrain, no less than three times in these few verses, you “cannot be my disciple”. Jesus is telling us that he is not half–hearted in showing us his love, in bearing his cross, in giving us his life. “Greater love than this no man has than to give his life for his friend”. He had the consequences of his love well–thought out; he did not believe in half–measures.

What Jesus is asking from us his disciples is not half–hearted, casual but total love for him as he gave his complete and unreserved love for us. He gave absolutely when he gave his love and his life by renouncing everything, including the most previous things he had. In expressing love there can be no half measures — love is a total giving of oneself that expresses a conscious, well considered dedication to another.

A danger in reflecting on this passage in an off–hand manner is that one could get the impression that Jesus is not too interested in large numbers becoming disciples. Quite the opposite. He is actually pleading with each follower not to be casual and only half–committed to his invitation to be like him, that is Christ–like. He is telling us that there can be no discipleship, no ‘Christian’ without cross–bearing. His plea is to think about what it means to be a disciple. A disciple is not one who is like other people but one who is like Jesus our Saviour in what made him our Saviour, his essential role of suffering and dying as the sign of absolute love which can be offered for others, especially those in need.

Ultimately what Jesus is saying to each one of us is that each must be absolutely clear what being a Christian, one who is a disciple of Jesus really means. This passage is a goad to sit down and reflect on the Christian vocation.